1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image generation apparatus and image generation method for generating an ultrasonic image.
2. Related Art
A known image generation apparatus scans an object with an ultrasonic beam by use of a probe having a plurality of ultrasonic elements (ultrasonic vibrators) to generate an image of the interior of a living body. To generate an image, a beamforming process of transmitting an ultrasonic wave from a body surface of a subject toward the interior of the living body and summing signals that each carry a received reflected ultrasonic wave is carried out. However, since a simple beamforming process only allows generation of a low-resolution image, a technology for obtaining a higher-resolution image has been developed. An example of this technology is the MVB (minimum variance beamforming) process described in JP-A-2015-71028.
According to related art represented by the MVB process, a certain-level resolution is provided. As for an ultrasonic image, however, the higher the resolution, the better the image. If the resolution of an ultrasonic image can be increased with no increase in the number of ultrasonic elements or the frequency at which the ultrasonic elements are driven, everything works out as desired.